How to confirm and locate leaks under new tiled floor

[rajpatel50]

Hi All,

About 1 month ago we had a new 22mm blue pipe laid under our kitchen to supply our new boiler and the rest of the house. It was then concreted over and tiled.

Just recently we have notice on occassions some water pooling on the tiles which we suspect is coming up through the concrete from below somwhere. Our worst nightmare!!

My question is, is there any way we can confirm for sure there is a leak below before we dig the whole lot up again? Are you aware of any companies that provide services to detect and locate this so we only dig in the right place as the source of the leak may not be where we see the water pooling?

All thoughts and advice appreciated.

Raj

 

[BoxBasher]

Raj,

There are ways of narrowing down where the leak is, although acoustic detection is much more difficult on plastic pipes than on metallic. With it being a new pipe were there any fittings used to join it, this would be a likely place for a leak.

Did you pay somebody to relay the pipe?

Under a solid floor the pipe should have been laid inside a duct to allow easy removal/replacement (a requirement of the water fitting regulations).

If this was not done then I suggest you get them back to rectify things, carry out the installation to the regulations, and to re-instate the floor tiles.

Box

 

[big-all]

why do you specificly comming through the floor!!!!
if you have a mains leak it will be constant

if there is any thing that uses water like sink washing machine dish washer kids pets ect i would suspect them first its possible theres a leak and its collecting in a low point in your floor

next time it happens take note off what happend in the previous 2 hours [water usage pets and childrens actions ect]

 

[rajpatel50]

I believe there was 1 T junction after it came into the kitchen. 1 routed the cold water upstairs and the other to the boiler through the kitchen where it came up via an elbow into pipeing for the boiler. The pooling doesn't occur near either of these but thats not to say they are not the source of the leak.

With regards to the ducting as far as I can remember he didn't put a duct around it.

There is a washing machine near the pooling but it wasn't on and when we came back after work we saw the pool of water so we assumed it wasn't the washing machine.

 

[bathjobby]

There is a washing machine near the pooling but it wasn't on and when we came back after work we saw the pool of water so we assumed it wasn't the washing machine.

Two choices then;
1) Dig up the floor to see if the pipe / connector is leaking
OR
2) Check the water connection on the washing machine and for a couple of days if its not being used turn off the water supply to it and see what happens.
Ummm, which one to do first !

 

[ChrisR]

Make sure anything like wc cisterns from the supply have stopped filling.

Shut the valve before the suspected leak - at the pavement?
Hold a tumbler of water up to a cw tap, and open the tap.
If there's a leak below the tap, the level of water in the tumbler will drop, as the water is sucked back down the pipe.

Easy when you know!

 

[BoxBasher]

Make sure anything like wc cisterns from the supply have stopped filling.

Shut the valve before the suspected leak - at the pavement?
Hold a tumbler of water up to a cw tap, and open the tap.
If there's a leak below the tap, the level of water in the tumbler will drop, as the water is sucked back down the pipe.

Easy when you know!

Tap spout allowing, and barring any check valves...

 

[Agile]

With regards to the ducting as far as I can remember he didn't put a duct around it.

Obviously he was not a plumber registered for work on mains water supplies.

Since he has done it wrong he is legally liable for the cost of putting it right. However I expect all you have is a first name and mobile phone number and I dont expect he will be answering your calls.

Others should note the problems which can occur when using an unqualified person!

Tony

 

[BoxBasher]

Others should note the problems which can occur when using an unqualified person!
Tony

I think the problem is builders doing work that they know nothing about. The amount of "professional" property developers work that I see that doesn't pass because of pretty basic bread and butter stuff is amazing.

Although I've also seen work by "fully qualified" plumbers with 20 years experience who do the same because they think can get away with it.